The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-23

lated would make the text read
Only let your conduct as citizens b
worthy oil the gospel of Christ" Paul
position at the time he wrote this epit
tie, being deprived OF his liberty an,
conhned in Roman prison, couple,
with the recollection al the crue
treatme nt he received when he frs
introduced the gospel at Pbilippi, LEI
him to think profoundly aud writ,
earnestly on this question cf citizen
ship. Our duty as Christian
citizens is one of the ques
tons which comes up for pulpi
Treatment. Everyone who is familiar
with New England history know
that ministers oil the gospel were tn,
chief agents in the establishment o
our form OF civil government. The
very germs OF religious liberty anC
personal freedom sprung from the
church. The greatest advocates o.
Christian liberty in all ages and in all
lands have besn preachers of the Cos
pei OF Christ. Hence Paul, led and
inspired by the Spirit OF God, gave in
his Epistle TO the Romans (chaptei
xiii, Id what constitutes the founda.
ton OF civil government-frst, its
province; second, its end, and third,
our duty SO Christian citiz ms
toward 1t. Learn, therefore, that
civil government is net the
measure of the rights and duties OF
Christian people, because TO govern
ment eau isgisists beyond n certain
prescribed domain. IL has no right
to ray that we shall and must be
atheists or deist, nor can 1t dare 10
trespass on tie sacred precincts Of
conscience, that most sacred thing on
this side OF heaven itself. On the
other hand man docs not ref ain
ftom committing murder because the
law says he must not kill, bat he does
1t because God says 80. The Christian
looks higher than the civil law, Be-
C u Q the province of civil govern
melt 10 for good, and for the good of
the whole people. The trouble
with the generation who have
grown up ducing the past twenty
five years is that they have
eliminated God from the equation
Of political ethics, and looked to the
State Ds the center and circumference
OF their obligation ss citizens and as
Creating the only principles of right,
f)rgetting that II il only q channel
through which the will Of the people
Is expressed, and that the civil authoii
ties are but the instruments by which
The wishes OF the people are carried
out. And the will OF the people for the
public good 10 the will Of God. After
. careful and mastery review Of the
frst and second divisions the speaker
took up the last and most i'm
portant point, VIZ: Third, Our duties
As Christian citizens. These are
l. To Honor and Dignity Justice
Justice is sacred thing Ifanything
threatens to imperil our municipal
1t threatens to rob JUS
ice OF Its dignity and sanctity. Girls.
ian people cannot afford to trife with
questions OF justice. No man has
more respect for the impartiality, the
honesty, AID the fidelity to oonscien-
ious conviction Of duty displayed by |
he chief executive OF our local gov
than / have; but, II his acts
while ON the bench are correctly re-
'orted by the daily press, he has
urned his courtroom into a place OF |
esting, more resembling a side show
han Q court where justice should be
Ioncred and dignifed, wrongs right
d, the dignity Of our government
and the juetice OF our laws
trictly administered.
2. To Vindicate Our Executives
his is duty we owe to God, to man
nd IL right. II we allow our rulers |
D be assaulted and mali9ned under any |
lea whatever, without using every
onorable attempt to sustain them and
phold the dignity OF their Office we
lay ss we'll disband our government
nd 20 into anarchy. Grave charges
ave been made against the chief
IhCer of The Taxing District, which,
owever pure aud innocent he may
P, has brought reprosch on the
ir name of our city, and 1t is our
nty IS Christian citizens either 10
Indicate his character or prove him
J be guilty.
8. 1t ia our duly as Christian citi.
ms to be always on the right side #
very question which has for its OBJ
ct the advancement of the moral
nd religious welfare OF the whole peo-
10. the greatest issue with which
@ have to PraDple today is that OF
-ohibiton. This Is purely moral
sue, and has nothing more TO do
it'll politics or parties than it has
ilh running and controlling the
lsiness Of the Memphis Street
ar Company. 1t is a personal
sue, and one in which every
telligent citizen ia bound to take
dee. There Is no neutral ground on
hich to stand. Every man is on one
de- or the other. The question for
! to decide is which side ia God on ?
'hich side is the gospel OF Christ on ?
look over yonder and l see genera
On OF noble boys, full Ct life, with
light hopes, great ambitions and
lily aspirations. hear the whisky
en- say come let us set traps for
EN- They are the sons OF wealthy
en-, let us supply them and rob them
their money They have brains and :
tellect, let us entrsp them and make
EN- our slaves, 30 that we can send
EN- to enact laws which shall per. !
tuate and protect our interests. Let /
ruin them physically, morally, in .
llectuAlly, spiritually; II necest airy,
them die with their boots on; only q
US entrap them and make them c
IT tools to advance and serve our
fish ends. Brethren, which side is
ID on? On the side OF this hell born, 9
nj destroying, hellward going trsf-
2 Can you ask God to bless J
Q ends Of this Ubiquitous
affiC, which every year is blighting !
pes, blasting regulations, running 7
aracters, breaking hearts and turn !
g eur once fair and happy land into I
vast field OF moral corruption2 II
u cannot pray for Gods blessing on Q
neither can you dare to vote for 1t. a
, man Icsn vote on the whisky
10 OF this question and main I
N his character as Chris 2
n citizen. Brethren, l have stated 2
emily aud honestly how / stand 40 l
ur pastor and as q citizen OF Mem
is, and in doing 80 / have voiced 4
3 sentiment Of the Southern Baptist o